CHAPTER ELEVEN:

Intervention

(AUTHORS NOTES:OMG.. THANKS TO CHEMICAL77, Nadia141491 and DoveIsTheWord for your reviews, they mean so much to me! It's really an inspration to keep working towards a finish for this story after all this time and I'm so glad you all like it!)

(slight OOC warning here.. !SlightlyNiceSnape, !FatherlySnape, make their first actual appearance.. Seeing as how this story is largely about my oc, her interactions and time at Hogwarts, and seeing as how I've made her Snape and Lily's daughter, they have to have some form of father/daughter bondng.. No flames, please?)

"You won't be going back there." Snape informed his daughter as she looked at him, biting her lower lip, shuffling her feet quietly, not sure what to say. What if he were lying and this entire thing was just some sick and weird obsession with her? It had been pointed out by a few people actually, through the years, that she looked like a younger Lily Evans - Potter.

"There's really no other way, sir." she reminded him as he shook his head and then brandished a piece of paper as he said simply, "The people disgust me.. And as I thought, they were everything I feared they were when I first learned you were my daughter. " She took the paper and read it, stomach twisting in knots as she realized that they'd basically responded to his letter to them, with their own, stating that if he were her real father and he wanted her, he could basically have her. That they were tired of her really, she was essentially useless.

"I'm useless.. I clean that entire fucking house and make sure they don't burn the damn thing to the ground.. And I'm the useless one." she laughed mirthlessly, as she looked up at Snape and said quietly, "So it's true."

"It is.. And apparently, they were paid a great deal, in the beginning of all of this, to adopt you. By who, they wouldn't say." That part, in itself had both sickened and concerned Severus when he discovered it, really. Who would go to the trouble? He had his suspicions, of course, but for the moment, he just hoped they weren't correct.

"So.. Do you stay here?" Charmaine asked quietly, still trying to get her head around this whole entire thing being real. Not some dream she was dreaming to keep herself from dealing with just how shitty her life at home was, in general.

"Actually, no. I go home." Severus said as he gave her a raised brow and then added, "But I'm afraid it's not.."

"Anything, sir, is better than that damn military base." Charmaine admitted as she said casually, "And as far as celebrating.. Don't worry.. I never have. Just another day to me, really."

He raised a brow at this.. What hell had those two incompetent Muggles been raising his child, Lily's child in? "I see."

"My stuff, though..." she started as he said "Has already been taken care of, Charmaine." holding her gaze for a moment, managing the slightest hint of a smile.. It didn't really look like a smile, more or less a smirk. She smiled back likewise and then asked, "Can I at least see the others off to the station, sir?"

"You mean Longbottom, I suppose?"

"And my brother, yes." Charmaine said as she blushed a little, bit her lip.. This was going to be an interesting and maybe for once a peaceful holiday.

"I don't see why not. I'll wait for you at the station. Those other people... You won't have to see them again. I made it quite clear, my intentions, when I began writing them. They seem to not care, seemed happy for the matter to be done." Severus said as he sighed and admitted, "I might not be the best or even most emotional person, but I hope that with time we can make up for missed time.."

"I'd like that, sir."

"You don't have to keep calling me that.." Snape started, but trailed off. Maybe for now, that's what felt most comfortable to her. Truth be told, he was still getting used to this whole thing, and it was going to be an interesting holiday for him to say the least. He was used to spending them alone, nothing to do but read his beloved books and sleep.

Like his child, apparently, he didn't particularly celebrate the holidays. Though he suspected that she'd been tormented over the course of her life, and had learned not to expect any form of happiness while at home. He shuddered to think what her holidays past consisted of.. From some of the scars he'd seen on her person since learning he was her father, that she was the child he and Lily had been forced to give up, he had a sick feeling that they were going to have a long road ahead of them.

He knew from the three girls in her house, Hufflepuff that she had nightmares frequently, he'd overheard the girls discussing them privately before he learned that Charmaine was the daughter that he and Lily had been forced to give up.

"You should get going.. If you're going to see your brother and Longbottom off." Snape said as he went to open the classroom door for her, only to have himself be pulled into a slightly warmer than wary hug. That warmed him inside, if he had to admit it. He could get used to the emotional teenage daughter, he supposed and he was realizing through his observations that perhaps, he'd even enjoy it, having her around all the time.

Though he did fear what would happen when the tensions in the Wizarding world got worse, and Voldemort ultimately returned. He'd have to do a lot to keep her safe and alive. Even if it meant putting trust in Potter to help out with this very thing.

She smiled and promised, "I won't take so long, sir."

"Please try not to?" Snape asked calmly as he let her out of the door, watched her vanish down the hallway to catch up to her friends and Neville, all of whom stood waiting at the end of the corridor.

Neville hid a broad grin as small hands with short bitten black painted nails covered his eyes from behind. "I wonder who that could be." he started, as he turned and then added quickly, "It was a joke." when he saw her pouting to which she replied, "I know.. I was joking too. So..."

"Please tell me you're NOT going back to that base?" he whispered as she nodded and said "Apparently, my dad fixed things. I'm going back home with him. But I get to go with you, Harry and the others to the station."

He hid a grin as he looked at her, wondering what his grandmum's reaction to her was going to be. He could already hear some of the elder woman's thoughts now, he knew the woman so well...

They set off for the train back, leaving Hogwarts behind for the holiday. Charmaine, this time, seemed happier.. Maybe she'd finally have a normal life.. Or as normal as one got, considering her father was probably just as reserved as she was for the most part.

They'd reached the station before they realized it, and she stood with him, her friends, waiting, biting her lower lip. Normally, she'd feel slight anxiousness, even fear right now. Oddly enough, she felt peace.

Neville's grandmother approached about the same time as she caught sight of her father coming into the station. She hugged her friends and then talked to Harry a bit, Harry and Fred, George and Ginny getting her to promise to at least owl during holiday, and then it was just herself and Neville.

"I'll miss you, Nevvie. I'll owl, I promise."

"If you need me, Charmie.. Just owl.." he muttered, their foreheads together, his grandmother clearing her throat warily. Reluctantly, he left and she walked over to her father as she said quietly, "Let's go home."

He nodded, smiling vaguely as he mentioned, "Suppose we don't really celebrate.. But we do get a christmas tree.."

"I'd like that, sir." she said with a smile as they apperated to the house that would eventually become her new home. She looked around, smiled to herself as she walked around the small rooms, peeking in.

"The room at the end of the hall is yours." Severus said quietly as she pushed open the door and squeaked probably the most ear splitting squeal he'd ever heard, before pulling him into another one of her hugs as she said "I love it, sir."

"Not so sure I'm bloody crazy about all of those posters that came with your things." he admitted as she nodded, bit her lower lip and said "They're mostly bands, sir."

They settled in, two chicken pot pies reading their respective books on the couch in the dimly lit living space of the small house. And for once, she actually felt like she was at home.

Snape smiled to himself as he looked up from the last page of his book, found her asleep with her own book dangling from her fingers, leg out from beneath the blanket on the back of the couch. Covering her up, he turned off the light. It'd been a long night, he'd let her sleep there for tonight. He stood in the doorway for a little while, watching her sleep. He'd finally found her, bought her home.